Chapter Four
Ryder put down the coping saw and grabbed his cell phone. As the jangling continued, he hit the button again before he realized it was the landline phone that interrupted his woodworking. He pushed up off the chair then brought the receiver to his ear.
“Hello?”
“Dude, I couldn’t get through on your cell. Is everything okay?” Hawk asked.
“Yeah. The reception’s been spotty since the snowstorm hit. I’m just finishing up a train set I’ve been working on. Does Braxton have one?”
“The question is, what the fuck doesn’t my son have? Between Cara and her parents, I’m gonna have to get a big-ass shed for his and Isa’s toys.”
“Oh … and you don’t spoil him?” Ryder cradled the phone in the crick of his neck. He went back over to the worktable and picked up the unfinished locomotive. Soon, the sound of sandpaper on wood filled the room.
“You fuckin’ got me. I guess I want my kids to have everything I didn’t, which is a helluva lot.” Hawk chuckled. “Braxton would love one of those fire trucks you make. Remember, you made one for Harley a few months ago? Braxton’s still talking about it.”
“So is Banger.” The two men laughed. “I can make one for Braxton. I can bring it to the Toys for Tots event. I’ve made a shitload of toys for the kids. I’ll just include the train set. I’m almost done with it.”
Toys for Tots was the Insurgents’ annual Christmas charity to collect toys and distribute them to abused, sick, and underprivileged children. A lot of money was raised at the event, which took place a week before Christmas. Since Ryder had come back to Pinewood Springs three years before, he was active in the charity. It gave his woodworking hobby purpose, and he loved helping out the kids.
“That’d be great. Are you buried in pretty deep?”
“Yep. I doubt my four wheeler could get through the drifts. When I last looked out the window, the snow had died down some.”
“It’s that way in town too. The brothers at the clubhouse can’t get out, but they’re closer to you than to town. Throttle said that he’ll probably get the plows out tomorrow or the day after. He wants you to know he and Rags will come out your way and dig you out.”
“Appreciate it. I’ll have to give him a call. For now, I’m good. I bought some whiskey from Tom.”
Hawk’s hearty laugh rang through the phone line. “How’s that fuckin’ old moonshiner doing? I haven’t seen him around much.”
“He’s slowing down. Since Martha died, he’s not the same. He misses the hell outta her.”
“It’s gotta be tough—they were married for forty years. I can’t even imagine what it’s like for him. Hell, if Cara goes before me, I’ll be fucked up for sure.”
“Yeah … I feel for him, but his whiskey still has that kick that’ll land you on your ass if you don’t respect it.”
“Speaking from experience?” Hawk chuckled.
“Too much experience.” Ryder looked at Brutus, who sat at his feet looking up at him. “I gotta take Brutus out. Thanks for checking up on me, bro.”
“Yeah. Later.”
Ryder put the phone back in its cradle and ruffled the top of Brutus’s head. “You wanna go outside?” Brutus barked and wagged his tail then dashed toward the front door. Ryder pulled on his boots and slipped his arm inside a jacket then closed the door behind him.
Cold slapped his naked face, squeezing tears from his eyes. It’s fucking freezing out here. He immediately thought about the woman and her son in their small camper. I wonder if they got enough heat. Why the fuck are they living in that damn thing? Breath rolled from him in short frosted puffs. Treading slowly through deep, soft snow as the thin rays of light filtered through the ice-laden tree branches, he whistled for Brutus, who bounded out from behind the evergreens and ran over to him.
“It’s too damn cold out here. Come on.” Ryder plodded over to the garage and opened the door. Brutus barked and ran in circles as Ryder took off one glove and fished in the pocket of his parka for his car keys. When he opened the jeep’s back door, the dog jumped in, then Ryder cranked up the heat and backed out.
The tires skidded on ice-slick snow as beams from the headlights danced on clusters of frosted firs lining the road. “Dammit,” he muttered as he gripped the steering wheel. The snow began falling again—harder and faster. It erased the car’s icy tracks on the road, and the trees that loomed in the distance vanished, swallowed up in white. The jeep’s wipers now moved frantically over the windshield as Ryder drove toward the trailer.
Brutus’s barks echoed eerily in the muted stillness as Ryder closed the car door. A thick quilt of snow surrounded the camper, and Ryder saw that there wasn’t as much light coming from the small windows as there was the day before. He pushed on, cursing under his breath at the pain shooting through his residual limb. He’d been too damn lazy to put the liner sleeve over it when he’d gotten up that morning, never thinking he’d be plodding through two feet of snow. While stopping to rub his upper thigh, the cold air seared his lungs as the rest of him sweated beneath the parka. Savannah was peering out the window and he motioned for her to open the door. She stayed at the window for a few seconds, making him think he’d have to break down the damn door, but then she disappeared, and a faint sliver of light fell on the white ground as she stood in the doorway.
Ignoring the pain, Ryder gritted his teeth and walked toward her with Brutus by his side. With a fuzzy blanket wrapped around her, she stood aside as he pushed himself up into the trailer. After a few seconds, his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting and spotted Timmy sitting at the table with what looked like a puzzle in front of him. The boy wore a jacket and had a blanket wrapped around his thin shoulders. He saw Savannah looking at him from the corner of his eye and craned his neck to meet her gaze. After a short pause, she cleared her throat and looked away as a slight pinkish flush swept across her cheeks.
“Why are you here? You can’t possibly think we can leave in this blizzard,” she said softly.
“I came by to check up on you and the boy.”
Timmy looked over and smiled, and Ryder’s lips twitched when he noticed the boy’s missing front tooth.
“Can I pet your Bluto now? He knows I’m okay,” Timmy said.
“His name’s Brutus, and if it’s all right with your mom, you can come over here and pet him.”
Timmy’s eyes shone as he looked at Savannah. “Can I, Mommy? Please?”
She wrung her hands over and over as if she were washing them, and then nodded. “Just wait and let Ryder tell you when it’s okay to pet his dog.”
She remembered my name, and she keeps sneaking peeks at me. Maybe she’s lonely for some male company.
Timmy padded over and Ryder could feel Brutus stiffen by his side. He hit the button in his prosthesis and his knee pushed out, making it easy for him to kneel down. The chaffing still hurt like hell, but he could deal with it. He put his arm around the German shepherd and leaned close to his ear. “Steady, boy.” Brutus relaxed and Ryder waved Timmy to come closer.
The boy looked at his mom as apprehension began to line his face. “Are you going to pet him too, Mommy?”
“Uh … I wasn’t planning on it.” Savannah darted her eyes between the dog, Ryder, and Timmy.
“I think you should show your boy it’s okay,” Ryder said in a low voice.
She lifted her chin and stared at him coolly. “I don’t need any suggestions from you on what I should do with my son.”
I hit a nerve, and she’s not as meek as I thought. “Whatever.” He reached out his hand, and Timmy placed his small one into it. Before he could encourage him to come closer, Savannah knelt down next to him, and a clean scent with a hint of floral hugged him. She smells damn good … and sexy. He glanced sideways at her, but she kept her focus on her son.
“Do you wanna pet Brutus?” he asked her.
“Okay,” she answered, but her tone said it was the last thing she wanted to do. She gasped when he grabbed her hand and guided it over to the dog’s damp fur. As cold as her hand was, the skin was soft and silky, which made him wonder if her whole body was just as satiny.
It’s just some chick’s hand. Focus, man. Without thinking, he squeezed her hand then ran his thumb over its softness.
“Aren’t I supposed to be petting the dog?” she asked.
He immediately loosened his grip. “Of course, but your hand is so damn cold that I was trying to warm it up so Brutus wouldn’t freak out.” Her quizzical look confirmed what he already knew—a piss-poor excuse for his pathetic actions. There’s no question about it—the first chance I get, I’m going to hook up with Brandi. Before she could say anything, he put her hand on Brutus’s back then let go of it.
“Is he soft, Mommy?”
“Yes, he is, but he’s a little wet too.”
Ryder drew the boy closer, and soon his small hand stroked the black fur. “He likes it,” Timmy whispered.
“Once you both get to know each other better, you can rub his belly—he loves that.” Timmy’s eyes widened, and he heard Savannah make a sound like tsk-tsk. He turned to her and looked deep into her eyes. “What’s your problem?”
Scraping a hand through her hair, Savannah looked away. “Nothing. It’s just that we’ll be leaving once the storm dies down. I don’t like people promising things they can’t deliver.” She stood up and wrapped the blanket tighter around her.
Just hit another nerve. Someone broke a promise to you, didn’t they, darlin’? “The storm will be around for a couple more days at least, and then it’ll take time until the less traveled roads are cleared.”
“In any event, we won’t be here long.” She rubbed the back of her neck.
“I think he likes me, Mommy,” Timmy said, his face flushed.
Savannah’s smile held all the love a mother has for her child, and it warmed Ryder to the core. He pushed up then pulled Brutus back.
“He does like you. That’s enough for now because Brutus isn’t used to many kids.”
Nodding his head, Timmy drew his hand away and took a few steps backward.
“Go finish your puzzle, sweetie,” Savannah said, and the young boy walked back to the table and slid onto the cushioned seat.
“It’s in the single digits outside, and it’s gonna be below zero tonight.”
“Thanks for the weather update,” Savannah said.
Ryder narrowed his dark eyes. “It’s already too cold in here, and you fucking know it.”
“What’s your point?” She lifted up her chin.
“You two are gonna get sick if you stay in this cold. I can see your battery is running down because you don’t have very many lights on.”
“I appreciate all your observations, but none of this is your business. We’ll be just fine.” Savannah leaned against the counter.
“You’re either fucking nuts or foolishly stubborn, but either way, you’re putting yourself and your boy in danger.”
“I’m neither. We can manage on our own.”
“Bullshit. You want your son to be cold, not to have lights? What the hell are you thinking, woman?”
“What am I supposed to do about it?” she asked, frowning. “We’re stuck. I’m doing the best I can.” Her voice quivered, and she turned away quickly.
Fuck. “I didn’t come here to judge you or make you feel bad,” he said, his voice softening.
“You could have fooled me,” she said.
“I came here to make sure you and your son were doing okay, and quite frankly, you’re not. It’s gonna get colder and snowier before the storm moves out. I got some room at my cabin where you can stay. I’ve also got a generator so there’re no worries about downed power lines.” Savannah’s forehead wrinkled as she tugged on her bottom lip. Ryder shrugged. “It’s up to you.” He saw her gaze fix on Timmy.
“Is your wife okay with having strangers in the home?”
He jerked his head back. “I don’t answer to anyone. Anyway, I don’t have a wife—it’s just me and Brutus.”
“Well … you’re not a psycho, are you?” She pulled back slightly.
“No … are you?”
“I’ve got issues but nothing psychotic.”
“We’ve all got issues. So are you taking me up on my offer?”
Savannah tilted her head from side to side as if weighing the pros and cons of the situation. Ryder watched her without saying another word. If she declined his offer, he’d leave and check on them again the following day. From the chill in the air, he didn’t think the heat would last more than twenty-four hours.
“I can’t believe I’m actually agreeing to this,” she said between nervous giggles.
“Look at it this way,” he said as he put his gloves on, “sometimes life makes you trust your gut. What’s it saying to you?”
“That it’s okay. You know, even if you don’t want to admit it, there’s a streak of kindness in you.” A bright smile curved her lips.
A faint spark flickered deep down inside him. “Don’t get all fucking mushy. I don’t want anyone to die on my property—that’s all.” He grasped the knob and pushed open the door. “I’ll wait in the jeep.” Ignoring her small gasp, he inhaled the cold air, satisfied that whatever shit he’d felt a few minutes before had been extinguished.
Ryder shut the door and made his way through the snow.